Menu

How to Find the Right Research Article

We do our best to keep our list of Research & Studies current and comprehensive, covering the most common issues we get asked about. We’ve recently added a new page that covers only the newest research; it contains links to several articles that have been published in the last few months. In Light also has a list of relevant studies on their website here.

Light therapy research is constantly growing, evolving, coming to new conclusions. There are new studies being published every day. A simple search in your favorite search engine yields 12.3 million results.

Yikes! Not only can that be intimidating, it’s not always fruitful either. Especially if you’re looking for information on a specific topic or illness. While Google is great for finding cat videos and funny memes, it falls short when you’re looking for scientific research. Enter the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the US National Library of Medicine. Both offer extensive access to a permanent online digital archive of full-text, peer-reviewed, health and life sciences research publications to the general public.

Visiting either pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/ or ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ will allow you to search literally hundreds of thousands of published studies. But even then, the results are astounding. Again, a simple search for “light therapy” yields a few hundred thousand results.

To really find what you’re looking for though, it may be necessary to alter your search key words. “Light Therapy” is seldom used in clinical or scientific research. Instead, they use words like:

Photobiomodulation

Photo Stimulation

Photon Therapy

Photodynamic Therapy

Photo Energy

Heliotherapy

LLLT (Low Level Light, or Low Level Laser Therapy)

NIR (Near Infrared Radiation)

(Red, Blue, (Near) Infrared) Radiation or Irradiation

While it can be confusing when you see these words used, know that all these words are all synonymous; they all refer to Light Therapy.

Combining these words with the target of your specific query will narrow down the search field. If you want to find articles on easing depression, skin rejuvenation, traumatic brain injury, relaxation, or any other ailment or affliction, try that affliction + one of the above terms, and voila! Hundreds of scholarly articles to suit your purpose right at your fingertips!

Disclaimer: The content of this website is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be construed as such. Light devices are not intended to cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. If you have a disease or illness, consult with your physician or health care provider prior to using any light device. Use only as directed by manufacturer.